LZ residents and grocery stores need to prepare themselves for the opening of the Wal-Mart Super Center, which will benefit us all starting in January 2011.
Lake Zurich’s Wal-Mart is planning on expanding 40,000 square feet once they receive full approval from the Village Board. This expansion will make the size of our Wal-Mart approximately 150,000 square feet, will include a full grocery with fresh produce, deli meat and salads, a vision center, and an enclosed seasonal garden; Wal-Mart will be the ‘one-stop shop,’ open 24 hours.
Wal-Mart’s revisions will benefit everyone, from customers to different stores. The other grocery store will have to compete against Wal-Mart, maybe even change their prices to stay in business, giving shoppers better deals and more options. Wal-Mart will attract more consumers to LZ and brings more customers to all the stores in LZ.
“[A new Wal-Mart] will make shopping in Lake Zurich more convenient. No one wants to drive as far as Joe Caputo in Palatine to get their groceries, but that’s where the bargains are. We should keep our money in town,” Cis Tossi, LZ resident and shopper, said.
The residents of LZ should be shopping and spending their tax money in their own town instead of driving elsewhere for better deals. Wal-Mart will keep our money in town with the healthy competition it will create among the other stores.
“Dominick’s and Jewel are so expensive, so this new Wal-Mart will be good,” Tossi said. “They will have to lower their prices to stay in business, so [a new Wal-Mart] will be an advantage to [consumers].”
Wal-Mart will create more healthy competition among other grocery stores in Lake Zurich. Wal-Mart offers low prices and convenience, while Jewel and Dominick’s offer better quality and service.
Stores like Jewel might have a hard time in the beginning to compete with Wal-Mart’s changes but there is no doubt they will be able to handle the changes and difficulties a Wal-Mart Super Center would bring to them.
“Obviously, [Wal-Mart] is going to be a deterrent on our part by taking away some customers. We’re not as low when it comes to prices but we are about service. Wal-Mart has a reputation but Jewel has been around for 100 years,” Mike Ray, LZ Jewel assistant store director, said.
In fact, Wal-Mart will actually be helpful to Jewel and the other grocery stores of LZ. There might be difficulties in the beginning but Wal-Mart will attract more customers for itself and for other grocery stores.
Wal-Mart will attract more customers with their expansion and cause the other grocery stores in LZ to work to keep their customers by lowering their prices or getting some revisions of their own. Therefore, the other stores will work hard to compete with Wal-Mart and gain more customers of their own.
“I don’t think [this new Wal-Mart] is going to cause that many problems, even with the smaller stores,” Suzy Marshalla, LZ resident and Jewel shopper, said. “My favorite store is probably Jewel. Maybe I would shop more at Wal-Mart, but I won’t stop shopping at Jewel. People already go to Wal-Mart; it’s their choice. It will create healthy competition but nothing to worry about.”
One of the smaller stores in LZ, Ania’s Polish Deli, will be moving to a new location closer to Wal-Mart. Being close to Wal-Mart will attract more customers to both stores, but the Polish Deli is in no danger of losing business because they offer a different variety in products.
“[Wal-Mart] will bring more business for all stores in this shopping strip. We don’t worry about losing customers to Wal-Mart because we offer a different selection of products, mostly ethnic foods. We’d get more exposure moving here.” Beata Bazan, Owner of Ania’s Polish Deli, said.
Not only will Wal-Mart bring more buyers for itself and the stores around it, but the expanded store will also bring more job opportunities.
Wal-Mart will be hiring approximatly150 more employees, including teenagers who are qualified for jobs. Jewel will also be hiring more people. Jewel will “keep offering a management program and scholarships,” according to Ray.
“We encourage students to work through high school and college. We offer a future, and I’m sure [Wal-Mart] does too,” Ray said. “We can compete with Wal-Mart and keep our customers. Are we worried? I don’t think so.”